6th Sunday in the Eastertide: 5th May, 2013
The readings today sum up the readings we have been listening to
in the past week. There is a kind of a premonition of some feeling nostalgia,
which is already there and yet to come. Its a kind of feeling that the students
of the Higher Secondary have before they close for their study leave... a
feeling of 'lot-to-do' and a feeling of 'are-we'missing-each-other'... Jesus
keeps telling his disciples that they need to learn to live on their own, not
that he is about to abandon them, but that they have to graduate to the next
level. Jesus prepares them too for the same. These are the days when the first
communities of Christians were getting together. They felt something uniting
them, but still felt all the differences among them. That is the crux of the
Word today... we are called to live as a community... a community of persons
who feel so united because of something that unites us, something that is with
us and within us...inspite of all the differences that is among us.
The fundamentalist group that creates the commotion, the reaction
of the rest, the emergency council convened and the heated discussion therein,
the misunderstanding between two top leaders, the break-up : we are not talking
of some thing that happened in the neighbouring parish these days, but what
happened in the Early Church, right in the Acts of the Apostles. We are a
community of human persons each with our own ego, our own interests
and personality traits. There are differences of opinions and perspectives,
without that there is no richness and variety.
I am reminded of a analogy given by Paulo Friere, highlighting the difference
between a pavement and a mosaic - both made of smaller units which make up the
whole; the former made of units that are of same size and shape to create the
uniform pavement that we see on the sidewalks of a road, the latter a grand art
formed by tiny parts each in different shape and size and shade adding its
uniqueness to bring out ONE GRAND MASTERPIECE.
To be God's people we are not called to sacrifice our uniqueness,
rather we are called to live it to the full - 'I have come that you may
have life, and have it in abundance!'(Jn 10:10) We are not called to sweep
under the carpet the differences and the disagreements we might have - Now
the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there
is freedom.(2 Cor 3:17) To be God's people all that we need to do is
be mindful that we are God's people - that is to be conscious that inspite of
our differences we have something that unites us.
It is the fact that we are called by One Lord - Jesus
Christ. It is the Risen Christ who forms the community! The Risen Lord
lives with us and within us!
It is the Spirit of the Lord that keeps us together. 'Let your
hearts not be troubled!' says the Lord today... When I see in my community
human elements of ego and pride, misunderstandings and slandering,
discouragements and dirty politics - let your hearts not be troubled... face it
with courage, wisdom and grace that the counselor brings you!
The secret is this:
Feel God living with you and within you: note the way the
disciples handled the discussion...'For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit
and to us' ... the expression is fantastic... speaking of the Holy Spirit as
someone who lived with them and decided along with them... that is the faith
that sustained that holy community! That is feeling God with you and within
you!
Fall back on the Community for a discernment: whether you are
the leader of the community or one of the members of the community, fall back
on the community for a process of discernment. Deciding on one's whims and
fancies is not going to help, you have a community convened by God, find God's
will as a community for the good of the community.
Find the Light of God illumining your life: the light of the
Lord shines on you and you walk in the light! There is no need to confound
yourself for in the light there is nothing that is hidden. What is needed is the
eyes of faith and a patient heart. The Spirit of the Lord teaches you all that
you need to know, provided you feel the Spirit's presence and yearn for the
Spirit's direction!
What a People we are - God the Father and Mother, has called us;
the Risen Son of God unites us and the the Spirit of the Living God enlightens
and leads us! What a People we are!
Let all the Peoples praise you O Lord! Let all the Peoples praise you!
